SEASON OPENER FOR JOINT NL SIDE AT SHEFFIELD
THE joint National League team representing both Scunthorpe and Sheffield takes to the track for the first time at Sheffield’s Owlerton Stadium tonight (Thursday) at 7.30pm.
Home fixtures are split with Scunthorpe Stags hosting both Edinburgh and Oxford, and Sheffield Tiger Cubs at home to Middlesbrough, Belle Vue and Leicester.
The team will ride in away meetings with the same identity as in the corresponding home meeting, for example, Scunthorpe Stags will be racing at Edinburgh and Oxford.
Scunthorpe Scorpions’ reserve pairing Nathan Ablitt and Luke Harrison were both due to also ride for the NL side, but Ablitt is currently out through injury and Jack Smith has come in to fill the No 1 spot until Ablitt is fit.
Ace Pijper completes an exciting top three whilst the latter’s younger brother Stene makes his NL debut at No 7.
He’s partnered at reserve by Kean Dicken, the son of former Hull favourite Lee, whilst Mickie Simpson and Sheldon Davies complete the line-up, both having previous experience at this level.
Scorpions’ skipper Simon Lambert will manage the side. He said: “I’m going to be honest from the off, I don’t want to be swapping riders and making changes really.
“Ideally, I want all of the riders to go out there, enjoy their four programmed rides out there on the track, give it 100 per cent every time and hopefully learn something with every ride as well.
“Obviously I don’t want to lose meetings and I want the lads to experience that winning feeling, but this is called the National Development League for a reason and as long as the boys enjoy themselves and progress during their time with us then I’ll be a happy team manager.
“I’ll be there to support them and guide them every step of the way and I just hope they can go out there and have some fun.”
Admission is £15 for all adults and concessions whilst all juniors aged 16 and under are admitted free.
Expected teams for tonight (Thursday):
Sheffield Tiger Cubs: 1. Jack Smith, 2. Sheldon Davies, 3. Mickie Simpson, 4. Luke Harrison, 5. Ace Pijper, 6. Kean Dicken, 7. Stene Pijper.
Middlesbrough Tigers: 1. Jake Mulford, 2. Ben Rathbone, 3. Danny Phillips, 4. Jamie Halder, 5. Ben Trigger, 6. William Hocaniuk, 7. Kai Ward.
* THE next meeting at Scunthorpe’s Eddie Wright Raceway is on Friday, May 10 (7.30pm), when the Ellie Rose Travel Scunthorpe Scorpions host the Workington Comets in the BSN Series. In the meantime, Scorpions are away to Berwick this Saturday (April 27) at 7pm in the Cab Direct Knockout Cup and then travel to Cumbria to face Workington on Sunday (April 28) at 3pm in the BSN Series.
Photo: Luke Harrison (pic: Ian Rispin)
